Four Nigerian villagers took Royal Dutch Shell to court on Thursday in a landmark pollution case that campaigners said could open the door to more compensation claims against international companies. The fishermen and farmers, together with the Friends of the Earth campaign group, accuse the oil major of polluting land and waterways around their homes in the Niger Delta region…Shell has denied responsibility, saying the leaks were caused by sabotage. The villagers launched their claim in a civil court in The Hague, where Shell has its joint global headquarters. It was the first time a Dutch-registered company had been sued in a Dutch court for offences allegedly carried out by a foreign subsidiary. [also refers to Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., Total]